Henry Darrow (born September 15, 1933) is a Puerto Rican-American character actor of stage and film. Darrow is probably best remembered for his role as Manolito Montoya on the 1960s television series The High Chaparral. He later played the corrupt and vengeful Trooper Hancock in The Hitcher and then replaced Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Don Alejandro de la Vega in the popular 1990s television series Zorro.

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Darrow was born Enrique Tomas Delgado in New York City, the first son of Gloria and Enrique Pio Delgado, who worked in the restaurant and clothing businesses.[1] Darrow's parents had migrated from Puerto Rico to New York in the early 1930s. At the age of eight, he played a woodcutter in a school play, an experience which convinced him that his destiny was as an actor.[2]

In 1946, when Darrow was 13, his family returned to Puerto Rico, where he discovered his roots and grew to love a country he had not known. He graduated from Academia del Perpetuo Socorro high school in Miramar, Puerto Rico, as class president before enrolling in the University of Puerto Rico. There he studied political science and acting, and worked as a part-time English-language interpreter. During his third year at the University, he was awarded a Scholarship (the first of its kind) to attend acting school. Thereupon Darrow moved to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in the Pasadena Playhouse. He met and married his first wife, Lucy and they went on to have two children, Denise and Tom. Darrow graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theater arts.[2]

Darrow had already landed small parts in 12 movies and 75 television series when he won the role in a play titled The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. This brought him to the attention of television producer David Dortort, who immediately recruited him for his television western series The High Chaparral, casting him as Manolito Montoya. Making its debut on American television in September 1967 NBC, it went on to last four seasons and was screened around the world. While on the show, both he and series' lead Cameron Mitchell became household names as the breakout stars of the show.

In 1986, he appeared in the horror film The Hitcher as Trooper Hancock, a ruthless and vengeful policeman who would go above the law to the kill the main protagonist (who was framed for the crimes by the main antagonist).

Darrow was a member of the board of directors of the "Screen Actors Guild" (SAG) and a member of "SAG's" "Ethnic Minorities Committee. He was also a founder of "Nosotros", an organization helping Latino actors land non-stereotyped parts. Darrow has served on the "Advisory Committee of Bilingual Children's Television".[2] In recent years, Darrow has cut back on his public appearances. However, he is slated to appear at the Memphis Film Festival June 12–14, 2014.[7]

HENRY DARROW: Lightning in the Bottle[8]ISBN 978-1-59393-688-4 is his authorized biography published in March 2012 by Bear Manor Media.[9] It is co-authored by Jan Pippins and Henry Darrow with an introduction by Luis I. Reyes co-author of Hispanics in HollywoodISBN 978-0-8153-0827-0.